387: Reframe Your AI Story Featuring Michael Kollo
Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will
Release Date: 07/01/2025
412 Ego and Soul
Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will
412 Ego and Soul When was the last time you were proud of yourself? When was the last time you took a moment to truly look at yourself and say “I am proud of the person I am and I want other people to see how amazing I can be.”? When was the last time YOU fed your soul? It’s easy to forget when we’re cheering others on that we also need to cheer ourselves on, because if we don’t then who will? In this episode Sarah Elkins and Sharon Rolph discuss their own personal growth and the pride they feel in the people they have become and are still growing into. Highlights ...
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411 Encouraging Change and Growth
Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will
411 Encouraging Change and Growth In today’s episode Sarah Elkins and Rachael Bohns discuss the significance and necessity of change as well as the importance of acknowledging and catering to the strengths of yourself and those around you. Highlights Doing what’s best for you even if no one knows, and especially for your own sake. Collaboration and commitment instead of obligation. Driving desire. Quotes “Most of the time change is thrusted upon us.” “Change is individual to people.” “Reward is individual.” Dear Listeners it is...
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410 Holding Space For Grief
Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will
410 Holding Space For Grief What can one say when faced with tragedy? Do you reach for a simple “I’m sorry” to let another know you sympathize with their pain? Do you offer an anecdote to show you empathize with what they are going through? Regardless, it is important that whatever you do you also hold space for your grief as well as those who need to know they are not alone in their grief. Highlights The importance of holding space for grief in the face of tragedy. Using healthy coping mechanisms to combat pain. You can sit in your grief and...
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409 Expanding Your Comfort Zone
Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will
409 Expanding Your Comfort Zone In today’s episode Sarah Elkins ruminates on how she has expanded her comfort zone by stepping into what she calls the “stretch zone”, where you aren’t entirely comfortable yet but willing to try just so that you can see what you’re made of. If we never stretch our wings, we’ll be trapped in the nest forever, so have faith in yourself, step into your stretch zone, and see how far it can take you. Highlights Telling stories to connect with another, not to change their mind. Taking time to calibrate yourself and find inner...
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408 Changing For Good
Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will
In this episode Sarah Elkins and Judit Piros discuss the importance of change in one's self, how healing often needs to be sought out and made active strides to achieve. From the highs and lows of being a parent, to the life of an artist, as well as the deep intrinsic self learning that comes from our unique walks of life that we must share with those around us. In doing so, we find we aren’t that different after all. Highlights Shifting perspective to see scenarios differently, especially if it is a scenario you didn’t expect to not work out. Taking time for...
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407 Being Intentional With Our Energy
Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will
407 Being Intentional With Our Energy In today’s episode, Sarah Elkins and Christopher Parsons discuss the importance of a moment of silence to take inventory with yourself, and not to be distracted by screens or unwanted voices, as well as the importance of genuine human connection. Highlights Being silent to find your best self. You never know who will hear your stories. Making real human connection as opposed to consuming or scrolling. Stepping away from our phones to focus on one thing at a time, specifically the things that really matter. Quotes...
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406 Screen Time for Young Children: A Parent's Search for Answers and Options
Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will
Screen Time for Young Children: A Parent's Search for Answers and Options In this day and age of smartphones, electronic billboards, TVs, and the seemingly impossible-to-avoid screen, it’s easy to lose connection to what matters most, our community as human beings. We crave connection, and by mindlessly scrolling or putting on a video to appease ourselves or a child, we inherently rob ourselves and our charges of a chance to truly connect, oftentimes causing irrevocable damage to the brain. We know screens are here to stay, so the question becomes how we can shift how we use them to...
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405 A Love Letter To My Future Self
Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will
405 A Love Letter To My Future Self Throughout life there will come times where we must take up our skills and talents as a knight would a sword and shield, wielding our innate and powerful gifts to further our lives for the better. By facing these moments, refusing to make excuses, and instead put in the hard work, we are bound to succeed. In this episode, Sarah Elkins contemplates the events that lead up to her presence on the TEDX stage, how the encouragement of her closest confidants, the peacefulness of nature on her hikes, and her own self reflection has brought her to this pivotal...
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404 The Unpredictable Nature of Our Stories
Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will
404 The Unpredictable Nature of Our Stories Like the humble ant, we go about our lives caring for those in our home, seeking new horizons, and using our natural talents to build monuments to our success. However, just like the ant, we are subject to things out of our control; be it a rainstorm that floods known pathways or a cruel child with a magnifying glass. These things can break us, they often do, but just like the ant we must settle again, rebuild, and make our home safe again. In this episode Sarah Elkins and Anne Plaisance discuss the many trials and tribulations they had faced...
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403 Choosing Love First
Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will
403 Choosing Love First It’s easy to forget that we have free will, that we can choose what we love, what we like, how we choose for others to perceive us. It takes a great deal of self reflection and growth to find the parts of ourselves that are willing to speak up and fight for what we believe in, even if we must speak up and fight against ourselves. In today’s episode Sarah Elkins and Edward Simberg discuss everything from how they met, to their deep love of storytelling, to the core beliefs they both hold dear. Highlights How do you live the stories you...
info_outlineMichael's background and transition to AI @ 13:38
Michael reveals his unexpected background in the arts and theatre, and how he later transitioned into finance before becoming interested in the implications of AI. He shares insights about the resistance to change and adoption of new technologies within the finance industry.
Observations on AI adoption and impact @ 30:22
Michael shares two key observations about the adoption of AI: 1) Finance professionals initially dismissed the potential of machine learning, but then quickly embraced it for commercial reasons rather than scientific merit. 2) Highly experienced and successful finance professionals were often the most resistant to acknowledging the disruptive impact of AI on their industry.
Episode Highlights:
AI will be the next cautionary tale about companies and individuals who ignore new technology, rather than embrace it. (Think Kodak & Blockbuster.)
Don't think of AI as exclusively a technology tool, think of it as a writing and development tool.
Humans drive AI by desire, the "I want to..." AI doesn't create or change because it desires to do so.
Quotes:
- "It's not 'how is AI going to change my industry', it's 'how am I going to use AI to change my industry?"
- On the difference between an AI and human approach: “It's not so much a skills question, it's a will or a desire question, that I want to do something is not within AI's remit..."
Meet Michael Kollo:
Michael Kollo is a finance professional turned AI strategist with a PhD in Finance from the London School of Economics. With over 15 years of experience at the intersection of quantitative finance and technology, he has held roles at BlackRock, Fidelity, AXA, and HESTA.
AI represents the most significant shift in financial services since the rise of algorithmic trading. However, the real challenge lies in deploying AI to create tangible value. Through Evolved AI, Michael works directly with financial firms to ensure AI adoption is practical, secure, and aligned with industry needs.
Whether through executive training or micro-automations, he focuses on bridging the gap between AI capability and financial business objectives. Committed to making AI an augmentative tool rather than a black box, he helps firms navigate this transformation with clarity, strategy, and execution.
Follow Michael on Instagram and Connect with him on LinkedIn.
About Sarah
"Uncovering the right stories for the right audiences so executives, leaders, public speakers, and job seekers can clearly and actively demonstrate their character, values, and vision."
In my work with coaching clients, I guide people to improve their communication using storytelling as the foundation of our work together. What I’ve realized over years of coaching and podcasting is that the majority of people don’t realize the impact of the stories they share - on their internal messages, and on the people they’re sharing them with.
My work with leaders and people who aspire to be leaders follows a similar path to the interviews on my podcast, uncovering pivotal moments in their lives and learning how to share them to connect more authentically with others, to make their presentations and speaking more engaging, to reveal patterns that have kept them stuck or moved them forward, and to improve their relationships at work and at home.
The audiobook, Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will is now available!
Included with your purchase are two bonus tracks, songs recorded by Sarah's band, Spare Change, in her living room in Montana.
Be sure to check out my Storytelling For Professionals Course as well to make sure you nail that next interview!